Who's Your Daddy?
by QueenKnightwing
Summary: Hiro Keeps getting these feelings telling him to do things. They're never bad things. In fact, they seem to make his life easier. So why does he feel the need to take a walk at 3:24 in the morning? Especially when he has a big day ahead? Older!Hiro Alive!Tadashi (There was no fire)
1. Prologue

It started with a book.

Hiro, a fifteen year old prodigy, was late for his SFIT classes. He was in a hurry. He was going to fail. He needed to leave two _hours_ ago. He had promised Tadashi he would get there on time so he could help with Honey Lemon's new project. And he was late. Really,_ really_ late. And that book was _begging_ him to take it with.

He tried to ignore it as he rushed around, brushing his teeth and throwing his clothes on, letting his mind wander to his brothers surprise birthday party and the gift he got for him. He had just grabbed his jacket and was halfway to the stairs when his eyes betrayed him.

That book.

_The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood_ By Howard Pyle.

Without realizing what he was doing, he picked it up and stuffed it in his bag. Hiro raced out the door and towards the college (now he was SUPER late), leaping over fallen trash cans and dodging cars as he crossed the streets ("Ever hear of a crosswalk!?" he heard the driver of a 1994 Dodge Colt bellow).

When he ultimately arrived upon the threshold of the college, Hiro slowed to a stop, deciding to catch his breath before venturing into whichever classroom he was supposed to be in. What time was it? Hiro looked at his phone and saw the bright screen tell him it was 10:38. Perfect. He could hear the tail end of Professor Callaghan's lecture (the one he was actually looking forward to).

Hiro was making his way through the halls to his classroom when he heard a feminine voice from around a corner say, "What do you mean, 'it's gone'?"

"I can't find it! I swear, I put it in my bag this morning!" Another female voice responded.

"Well, then,it should still be there!"

"I know!" There was an exasperated sigh. "Maybe it fell out on the tram?"

"What are you looking for?" Hiro asked as he moved toward the voices.

"Drugs." The first voice, a girl with curly (REALLY curly) black hair and olive skin, stated rather bluntly. To Hiro it felt as if her green eyes could see straight into his soul,which made him a little nervous.

The other girl, a blond with big brown doe eyes, sighed and said, "We're looking for a book. We're going to visit our grandmother at the hospital and I thought it would be nice to read to her from her favorite book."

"What is her favorite book?" Hiro felt the need to ask.

The blond sighed again. "_The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood_ By Howard Pyle. I thought I put it in my bag, but it's not here."

Hiro stood for a minute, shocked. How could it be that the book the he couldn't seem to ignore earlier that morning was the same book these two girls would need? It wasn't possible. It was_ im_possible!

And yet...

"I have it." Hiro's voice was barely above a whisper.

"What?" Drug Girl asked.

"I have that book." He repeated, a little louder. "It's right here." He proceeded to pull out the copy of _The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood_ By Howard Pyle and handed it to the blond, who looked at it in amazement. She held it gently as if she was afraid it would disappear.

"Thank you." Hiro couldn't hear her but he didn't need to. He already knew what she was going to say.

***888***

The next few years went on in much the same way. Hiro would get a feeling that he should grab, make, or do something, and it would turn out that he, or others, would need it later.

Hiro once made some tea (not actually wanting any) and Aunt Cass had come up from a long day in the cafe wanting to relax with a nice warm cup of (you guessed it) tea. Cass didn't understand _why_ Hiro would make something if he didn't want it, but she wasn't about to complain.

Another time, Tadashi forgot his lunch and didn't have money to buy something and it just so happened that Hiro felt the need to pack an extra sandwich.

Eventually, everyone just expected Hiro to have whatever they needed, and often times he did (though there were a few occasions where he didn't), but Hiro was starting to feel... empty. It was as if he was looking for something or someone that _he _needed, but couldn't actually find.

By the time Hiro turned nineteen, graduated college, and had an apartment of his own, however, he forgot about that feeling. Sometimes it would creep into his dreams, making him wake up in a cold sweat, but he always dismissed it as whatever he had had for dinner disagreeing with him.

This time, however, it was unmistakable.

And Hiro needed to go for a walk.


	2. Chapter 1

Waking up at 3:24am was most decidedly _not_ on Hiro's "To Do" list. He had a full day ahead and no time to waste going for a walk. But that's what his gut was telling him to do, so Hiro half-heartedly rolled out of bed and trumped over to his closet in search of some clothes. He didn't know how long he'd be out there and he didn't want to get stuck on a tram with only his pajamas on. . . again.

After Hiro got dressed, he made his way to the kitchen to look for something to eat. He opened the pantry to discover it was rather bare (did he really go through food that fast?) save one box of pop tarts.

"Guess I'm going to the store." He mumbled as he grabbed a package and headed out.

He didn't exactly know where he was supposed to go, but he trusted his instincts and headed toward the Lucky Cat Cafe (even though there was no way it was open at this hour). He got a few blocks away when he heard a sound, like an angry drunk, in an alleyway. At first he couldn't make out what was being said, but as he came closer to it, the words became a little more intelligible (only a little, as the man who was speaking was, in fact, drunk).

"Yeh goofernothin'... piece o'... coward!"

That got Hiro's attention. He cautiously peered around the corner and what he saw made him grit his teeth.

There was a man, probably in his mid-thirties, with light brown hair standing a little sluggishly over a small cowering figure. The man bent down and grabbed the figure (Hiro could now see it was a young boy, about five or six, with a messy mop of jet black hair) with his left hand, bringing the small being to a standing position before pulling back his right hand and making a fist.

Hiro moved into action before he even knew what was happening.

The man was moving slowly, but that didn't mean he couldn't throw a punch. Hiro practically jumped into the man, causing the drunkard to lose his grip on the kid and fall to the ground. The two adults got to their feet and Hiro made sure to position himself between the kid and the man (who he guessed was the kid's father).

"Get outa my way." The man said, his voice slurred, and Hiro wished he was a little farther away because he could smell the foul stench of alcohol.

"No." Hiro's own voice was bold, determined. He wasn't letting that man anywhere near this kid.

The man lunged at Hiro, who dodged easily enough, and stumbled to the ground. He got up and turned around to face Hiro and lunged again, only to get tripped and land on the ground. Hiro thought he was out cold and turned to the kid to see if he was alright when something hit him on his right ear with a _thwack!_ causing Hiro to see stars and hear a phone ring (at least, he _thought_ it was a phone).

When he could see again, Hiro saw the man holding the kid up by the scruff of his neck. He seemed to be saying something, but Hiro couldn't make out what, and the kid was shaking his head vigorously, his eyes clenched tight, and Hiro could see the tears running down his face.

Hiro ignored the pounding in his head and got up. He ran towards the man, but instead of fighting him, Hiro gently, but firmly, wrenched the kid from his grasp and hurried off to his apartment, making sure not to jog the kid around too much. Hiro thought he could hear the man running behind him but didn't dare look back for fear of slowing down and losing the smallish child.

They arrived at Hiro's apartment and Hiro thanked whatever gods were out there that he had forgotten to lock up before he left.

When they were safely inside, he locked the door and placed the kid on his couch.

"Hey." Hiro said as he sat down next to the small person. Said person didn't reply.

"My name's Hiro. What's yours?" There was a mumbled response.

"What?" Hiro leaned a bit closer.

"Benjamin." the kid said barely loud enough for Hiro to hear.

"Well, Benny, what do you say we get some rest? Because I, for one, am too tired to be up at" -Hiro looked at his watch- "4:15 in the morning." Hiro exaggerated his point by letting out a big yawn.

Benny made no response except to curl up on one side of the couch and close his eyes. Hiro waited for the steady rise and fall of his chest before he got up and went to his room and fell into bed. He barely had enough logic thought in him to kick his shoes off before he passed out.

***888**

Hiro dreamed he was in a park. He was with his friends feeding some pigeons, laughing at something Fred had said, when the sky suddenly became noticeably darker and the wind began whipping around, as if there was someone shaking out a large blanket.

Hiro looked to where he had last seen his brother to ask him what was going on and realized everyone was gone.

_Where did they go?_ He thought, _Why did they leave me behind?_

Hiro was on the verge of panicking when his eyes wandered to a pigeon who didn't seem to think anything was wrong.

Hiro stared for a moment, watching as the bird opened it's beak and let out a terrifying scream.

***888***

Hiro sat up so fast he was surprised his head didn't fly off his body. It took a moment for him to realize why he had woken up in the first place (he eventually heard Benny screaming in the other room and ran to investigate).

"Hey. Hey! Benny! Calm down! It's okay! Benny!" Hiro grabbed the thrashing five-year-old and pulled him into a hug (that was what Tadashi always did whenever _he_ had had a bad dream). "Calm down, Benny. It's okay. I'm here. I've got you." Hiro continued repeated the soothing words his brother had said to him on so many occasions until Benny calmed down. "You okay, Bud?" Hiro inquired. Benny shook his head, grabbing Hiro's shirt with his tiny fists and pulled himself close, quietly sobbing into Hiro's chest. Hiro held him there for who knew how long before he heard Benny snoring lightly.

Hiro frowned when he saw something on the young boy's shoulder. He gently removed the child's shirt and his frown deepened when he found numerous bruises riddling the child's abdomen, most of which had to be at least a few days old.

Hiro decided that he was going to call child services later and carefully put the shirt back on, trying not to bump any bruises. _Who would do something like that? _He asked himself, _Why? What would anyone gain from harming a kid?_

He looked at his watch and grimaced. It was 5:47. He had promised Aunt Cass he'd help out at the cafe today. He thought for a moment. He couldn't just leave Benny alone, but he couldn't bring him to the cafe either (Hiro was sure _someone_ would have _something_ to say about him bringing a small child to work). So, after about fifteen minutes worth of consideration, he decided to text his aunt to tell her he wasn't going to be able to help out because "Something came up". He didn't specify what the "something" was.

***888***

Hiro hadn't realized he had fallen back to sleep until he opened his eyes and saw the sunlight creeping through the windows. Benny was already up and was sitting quietly on a nearby chair with his head lowered so that his hair would cover his face. Well, he was quiet until his stomach growled.

Hiro sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?" He asked as he looked at his watch which read 8:13. "What do you say to some breakfast, Benny?" He got up and made his way toward the kitchen only to remember he had absolutely no food. "You know what? Let's go get some cereal from the store. And milk. I don't know how good the stuff in the fridge is." He got his shoes from his room and made his way back to Benny. "Maybe we should get you some new clothes, too." Hiro said, mostly to himself, as he looked at Benny's worn-out T-shirt and faded jeans.

Hiro went out to his car and Benny obediently followed behind without saying a single word.

***888***

Hiro called the child services number while Benny played (more like sat quietly) in a McDonald's Play-place. He paced the length of the room as he waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello," A young woman's fruity voice sounded over the phone, "you've reached the San Fransokyo Child Services Devision. My name is Lily. What's yours?"

"Hiro. Hiro Hamada. I'm calling to report an abused kid."

"Hello, Hiro, I'm going to ask you a few questions about your situation,is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Very good. What is the name of the child?"

"Benny-er, I mean Benjamin."

"Last name?"

"I don't know."

"How old is Benjamin?"

"I think he's about five."

"Where is he right now?"

"We're at McDonald's."

"Devil's food." This came out a little quieter than the rest of what the lady had said and Hiro had to ask what she meant.

"N-nothing! I'm sorry, you weren't supposed to hear that. What is your relationship with Benjamin?"

"I just met him."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Um, are there any immediate concerns about Benjamin's safety?"

"I don't think so. We're pretty far from where I found him."

"Okay. Why do you think Benjamin has been abused?"

"I saw his dad..." Hiro swallowed. "I saw him hold Benny up... Benny looked so scared... I didn't know what to do so I grabbed him and ran." He took a shaky breath. "Later, I saw some bruises on his shoulder and..." He couldn't finish.

Lucky for him, the woman on the other end seemed to understand.

"What can you tell me about the man? Benny's father?"

"I think he was probably in his mid-thirties, and he had light brown hair."

"Does Benny have any disabilities?"

"Not any that I know of."

"Do you know of anyone who could offer support to Benny?"

"Besides me? No, not really."

"Alright. Are there any other children who may be affected by this?"

"no, I don't think so."

"What language does Benny speak?"

"English,as far as I know."

"Okay. Thank you, Hiro. Would it be okay if I could interview Benny and yourself later today?"

"Yeah, we can do that. What time?"

"Does 10:15 work for you?"

Hiro nodded, even though he knew Lily couldn't see him. "That works, fine."

They hung up and Hiro was about to put his phone away when it rang.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Hey, Hiro, it's Honey Lemon. I was just over at the Cafe, talking to Tadashi, and he said you asked for the day off. Is everything okay?"

Hiro didn't know how to respond to that. Should he say 'yes', even if it wasn't completely true? He wasn't in any immediate danger, so maybe everything _was_ okay. After a while of not answering, Hiro noticed Honey's voice, sounding concerned, over the cellular device.

"Hiro? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Honey. Yeah, I'm okay, I just... have a lot going on right know."

"Like what?"

"Uh, you know... stuff." At that moment something on Honey's end went _kr_-_KRSH_! and Honey ended the call.

Hiro sighed and went to tell Benny they had to go.

***888***

At the social workers office, Hiro and Benny sat in the waiting room. The floor was brightly colored, with little swirls of different shade of the primary colors, red, yellow and blue. A coffee table sat in the middle of the room with various children's books and magazines on it. The walls looked to Hiro as if they had been painted by a bunch of kids on a caffeine high. Hiro tried to read a magazine (upside down), while Benny... sat quietly (did that kid know any other posture than "quietly"?).

"Benjamin?" A woman came in with a clipboard."Lily Pennel is through that door." She gestured to a wooden door to her left with a bunch of colorful drawings, obviously done by children.

Hiro led Benny through the door and into a room and guided him to sit in one of the two chairs as he sat in the other.

Hiro took note of the tidiness of the whole room. Nothing seemed out of place. Even the sleeping form on the other side of the desk looked like she was supposed to be there (she probably was).

Hiro cleared his throat which caused the woman (whom he assumed was Lily) to jerk upright, her auburn hair flying behind her. Her green eyes wide, as if in panic, before she regained whatever composure she had and, breathing a little heavily, looked at the two intruders. She blinked for a few moments, trying to figure out why they were there before realization suddenly hit her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she stood up. "I'm so sorry!" She extended her hand toward Hiro. "You must be Hiro Hamada." Hiro shook her hand and nodded. "And you must be Benjamin."

"Benny." Came a small reply. Hiro's heart skipped. Did Benny really just _respond_?

"Okay, Benny. I'm Lily." She looked between the two boys with a quizzical look on her face before turning to Hiro. "I thought you said you weren't related."

"We're not." Hiro said.

"Well, you look related." She sat back down and it was Hiro's turn to give her a quizzical look. After all, he and Benny looked nothing alike.

Noticing his confusion, Lily explained. "You both have the same black hair, same brown eyes, same cute nose... Are you two brothers?"

"What? No!" Hiro jumped out of his seat. "Can we please just move on?"

"Okay." Lily pulled out a folder and started reading through it and asking questions. Whenever she received an answer she didn't seem to like, she pursed her lips and wrote something down. Needless to say, she did that a lot. At one point she asked Benny if she could see his shoulder.

When she seemed satisfied with the interview she stood up and escorted the two to the door, but stopped Hiro before he could follow Benny to a chair in the waiting room.

"Hiro..." She began softly and pursed her lips.

"What?" Hiro grew concerned over her tone of voice.

"From what I've gathered, Benny shouldn't go back to his father. It would only upset him and from what I can tell, his exposure to you is the only reason why he answered any of my questions."

"What are you saying?" Hiro frowned.

"What I'm saying is... I think you should take care of him. Make him feel safe. Don't leave him alone." She glanced nervously at Benny. "And... Thank you, for bringing him here."

**A/N: I'm so tired I almost spelled "Late" as "Leight"! Heh heh. Isn't being sleep deprived the best? (Not!)**

**Please note: I have never been near a drunk man. Any and all info on how they act is solely based on other works of fiction and a few TV shows.**

**I also don't know how abuse works. I've never had to (and hopefully will never need to) call child services, and the conversations Hiro has with Lily are completely made up. I do, however, know that if you or someone you know is being abused, you should call the proper authorities immediately.**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2

After they left Lily's office, Hiro took Benny to Wal-Mart to get some necessities. They had already obtained the food items and were now shopping for some clothes for Benny.

Unfortunately, Hiro didn't know what he was doing and was standing awkwardly in the boys section comparing two different size shirts.

It wasn't his fault Tadashi always had spare clothes to give him if he ever ruined his (which he did a lot).

"Maybe this will fit you..." Hiro said, holding up one of the shirts, a small _Ninjas_ shirt like the one his brother had, up to Benny's chest.

"You need any help?" A masculine voice asked.

Hiro turned to find a young man, probably around his age, with golden blond hair and mischievous green eyes grinning at him. "You look lost." He said as he approached Hiro. He wore navy blue jeans and a black shirt with a peace sign on it.

"I'm not 'lost'," Hiro denied. "I just-"

"You just don't know what you're doing." The guy finished for Hiro. "Don't bother trying to deny it. I've seen that look before. My name's Jason." Jason held out his hand and Hiro shook it.

"Hiro."

"Well, Hiro, I may not look it, but I know this place like the back of my hand!" He paused and frowned. "Actually, that's a pretty bad example. I've never really studied the back of my hand before. Maybe I should start, though. Have you ever seen anyone just sitting around studying the back of their hand?"

"No. Why do you know this place so well?" Hiro asked, trying to change the subject.

"Dude, I have five older sisters!" Jason said with enthusiasm before his countenance deflated. "Needless to say, we were hear often." He sighed and looked at Benny. Smiling, he asked, "What's your name, Ace?"

Benny looked a bit nervous, but answered, "Benny."

"Cool name. I have an uncle named Benny. He works at..." Jason thought for a moment. "Someplace. I forget where." He leaned in close to Benny and whispered, "It's really boring there." making Benny smile.

"You looking for new clothes?" Jason stood straight and turned to Hiro.

"How'd you guess?" Hiro said, sarcastically. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he and Jason were really good friends who just happened to run into each other.

"My Spidey-Sense was tingling." Jason looked so serious, Hiro had to make a conscious effort not to laugh. "Anyway," Jason turned back to Benny, "Let's see, you're size..." he muttered to himself as he circled around the kid. "Come with me." He said to the two boys. "I know just where to go."

***888***

"... And then they made me their chief."

Two hours (and a lot of clothes buying) later, Hiro, Benny, and Jason were at an in-store restaurant and Jason was telling Benny a story about... something (Hiro couldn't remember what).

Jason had been really helpful. Not only with finding clothes that fit for Benny, but also finding clothes with costs that wouldn't cause Hiro to lose all his money (though, he had, jokingly, asked for some "Restitution for my pains").

"Anyway," Jason stood up and looked at his watch. "I'd better get going. Here." He handed a piece of paper to Hiro. "It has my number on it, just in case you need anymore help. Not that you'll need it, or anything, but... it's always good to have someone, you know?"

Hiro thanked him and Jason left.

"Can Jason come visit tomorrow?" Benny asked excitedly. Not 'quietly'. Excitedly.

"Sure, Benny." Hiro smiled.

***888***

Jason made his way through the streets of San Fransokyo with a small package under his arm. The contents of the package were unknown to him, but that didn't stop him from delivering it. That was his job. Pick up and drop off. No peeking. Even if he thought something dangerous was inside (which was often).

He turned a corner and slammed into a suite, making him fall backwards. He took a moment to stop the stars from taking over his eyes and looked up to see none other than the ugly face of Alister Krei. Jason stood and glared at the older man. "Krei." He said with no small amount of spite.

"Javin."

"Jason."

"Whatever." Krei looked annoyed. "You know, if you need glasses I can get some for you. Maybe then you wouldn't go running into people all the time."

Jason's glare deepened. "I don't need glasses, Krei. Now move. I have places to be."

"Your not still running errands for that man, are you? Pity. You had so much potential and now you're squandering it away."

Jason tensed. "Move." he said through gritted teeth.

"Perhaps, if you had accepted my offer, you'd be able to provide for yourself. Oh, well." Krei started to move away. "I guess not all of us were born to be rich."

And he left.

Jason had to take a break. He leaned against a nearby brick wall for support as he caught his breath. That man made him so mad. But Jason knew he was right. If he had just accepted Krei's offer he'd have a shot at a normal life, one without drugs and gang members and secret meetings.

***888***

Hiro and Benny arrived home and Benny helped Hiro put the food away.

"So," Hiro said as he plopped onto the couch, "What do you want to do now?"

"I want Jason."

Hiro chuckled. "Jason's busy right now. Is there anything else you want to do?"

Benny scrunched up his face in thought. Before he could answer, however, there was a knock at the door.

Hiro moved to open the door but, as it turned out, whoever had knocked didn't think he'd mind if they just barged right in.

"Hey, man!" Fred's carefree attitude and happy demeanor entered the small apartment. The blond wore an orange beanie and a T-shirt that depicted The Avengers. "Tadashi and Honey seemed pretty worried about you, and Honey asked me to come over. Is everything-" Fred suddenly seemed to notice Benny sitting on the couch with an expression that was somewhere between confused and scared. "You running a daycare, Hiro?" He turned to his young friend with a questioning look.

Hiro sighed. "Fred, this is Benny. Benny, Fred. And no, I'm not running a daycare."

"Well, that's a relief!" Fred exclaimed, plopping into a nearby chair. "You're pretty bad with kids."

Hiro rolled his eyes as he recalled the time Honey Lemon had insisted on them all going to the Primary Children's Hospital to take care of the sick kids.

Honey Lemons optimism and cheerfulness easily won the hearts of most kids, while Go Go seemed to attract some rebels with the need for speed.

Fred had brought his mascot suite and was entertaining kids by flipping a "Get Well Soon" sign.

Tadashi quietly read to a few kids in a corner, but Wasabi, however, simply took to the task of organizing the blocks.

In the end, there was only one kid left out, and it fell upon Hiro to cheer the three year old.

Easier said than done.

Hiro learned the hard way that the little boy did not like card games (with good reason, as they tended to give him paper cuts). At first he cried silently, but eventually, even Fred had noticed the small child's tears.

"That kid was devil-spawn." Hiro countered. "And besides, it was just one time."

"Says you." Fred mumbled. "So, if you're not running a daycare, why do you have a mini-you in the house?"

"A mini-what?" Hiro tried to blink back his shock.

"A mini-you." Fred stated matter-o'-factly. "You know, 'cause he looks so much like you."

"No, he doesn't."

"Yes, actually, he does. Hiro, I may not be a rocket scientist, but I can see that you two look related. Seriously. Oh, and before I forget, I still need to think up a nickname for you." Fred proceeded to pull out a long sheet of paper from his pocket. "Alright, so this is a list of all your possible nicknames. You should consider yourself lucky; none of the others got to choose."

"Oh, hey," Hiro suddenly remembered the question that had been on his mind for a while. "Why haven't you given Tadashi a nickname?"

Fred blinked. "What do you mean? Of course I've given Tadashi a nickname."

"I've never heard it."

"That's because we've been sworn to secrecy."

"What?"

"Oh, yes." Fred fell into dramatics. "Go Go, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and I were forced into a blood oath by your dear older brother to never speak the nickname I so graciously bestowed upon him." He wiped a fake tear. "After all my hard work, trying to find the perfect one, he just-" Ragged gasp. "-tossed it away!" Fred burst into (a scene) tears, though this development didn't last long as he soon turned his attention to the other being in the room and asked, "So, is he, like, your son?"

"No." Hiro said, exasperated (why did everyone assume they were related?). He explained everything that happened from waking up that morning to the interview with Lily and the run-in with Jason.

"Wait, so, you mean to tell me you don't know how to shop?" Fred looked incredulous.

"It's never really been a concern." Hiro shrugged. "And besides, if I ever run out of clothes, I can count on Tadashi to have something for me."

"So, what should I tell the others?" The blond asked after a short pause. "That you have a son?"

Hiro's brown eyes went wide. "What? No! You can't! Please, Fred, I..." Hiro paused for a moment. "He has nowhere else to go, right now. I'm only going to be taking care of him until matters at home are resolved. It's just temporary." He lowered his head. "Promise me you won't tell anyone?"

Fred frowned before nodding. "Okay. I won't say anything." He started to leave. "But, Hiro?"

Hiro looked up.

"They're going to find out sooner or later."

"I know." Hiro nodded.

And with that, Fred left.

***888***

Jason bounded up the steps to the rundown apartment complex on East side. He rang the doorbell and waited for the heavy footsteps indicating Yama's large exterior coming toward the door.

"Mason!" Yama greeted him with open arms and a sinister smile.

"_Jason_." Jason corrected for the second time that day.

"Do I look like I care?" Yama growled. "Do you have my supplies?"

_Hopefully_. "Yes." Jason handed the package to the mountain of a man and turned to leave.

"Wait." Yama held up his hand. Jason stopped. "Let me see if your boss isn't trying to swindle me again. We don't want a repeat of last time." He burst into laughter when he saw Jason's body go rigid.

Yama very _slowly_ opened the package and peered inside. A wicked grin spread across his face and an evil look came across his eyes. "Looks like you're one part short. Boys?" Two men started toward Jason with heavy looking clubs and he knew he had nowhere to go. Trying to run was only going to make things worse, but not running could end with him dead.

"Yo, Damien!" Jason was so relieved to hear that voice he didn't even care the person didn't get his name right. "You forgot this!"

Max Stoker, with his bright blue hair and purple contact eyes, elbowed his way between the two menacing men and handed a small silver tube to Jason who, in turn, handed it to Yama.

Yama looked pretty upset that he didn't have a legitimate reason to beat the crap out of Jason, but turned his men away with a wave of his hand and retreated back into whatever hole he crawled from.

Max turned to Jason and whacked him over the head. "What were you thinking!? I told you not to deliver anything to Yama again! You know he wants your blood!"

"Dad sent me." Was Jason's small reply. Max turned to him in shock.

"What?"

"Dad sent me."

"Your dad se- Why?"

"I don't know."

Max rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and sighed. He looked at Jason. "Come on." He jerked his head away from their current location and he and Jason made their way to a more desirable part of San Fransokyo.

***888***

Aunt Cass put the last plate of wings on the table just in time for her first guest to arrive. She made her way downstairs and opened the door for Go Go and Wasabi. Go Go seemed to be upset about something (probably Wasabi's driving) and marched upstairs. Wasabi, on the other hand, having been raised by good parents, greeted her warmly and inquired after her health (to which, she responded that she was fine).

"Tadashi will be back soon. I sent him to go get beverages." Just as she said this, Tadashi walked through the door with his arms loaded with different types of sodas, followed by Honey Lemon. "Ah! Now all we need is Hiro and Fred!" Aunt Cass joined the rest of the adults upstairs. She enjoyed the company of her nephews and their friends. They were all so different, yet instead of trying to change one another, they accepted and uplifted each other like a... well, Hiro once referred to them as a clock.

"It smells delicious, Miss Kesley." Honey Lemon smiled. "I can't wait to eat."

And then someone knocked on the door and Tadashi went to get it, soon returning with the comic-book lover himself.

"Hey, Fred!" Honey Lemon exclaimed. "Did you go see Hiro? Did he tell you what's wrong?"

Fred noticeably faltered in his step. He seemed to think for a moment before choosing his words carefully. "Yes and yes."

"What's wrong?" Tadashi asked, feeling concerned.

"He, uh, has... stuff he has to... take care of." Fred's eyes wandered the room, never staying on one place for more than a second. "He won't be able to make it tonight."

Everyone frowned. Hiro never missed a chance to dive into his aunts famous wings.

"Is he sick?" Go Go asked, popping her gum.

"No..." Came the prolonged reply.

"Is he out of underwear?" Wasabi asked.

"N—I don't think so."

"Than what?" Tadashi was getting annoyed. "Why can't you just tell us why Hiro can't make it?"

"Because I promised I wouldn't!" Fred clasped a hand to his mouth.

"Why did you promise that?"

"... He asked me to."

Everyone stood there with confused looks on their faces. Each of them wanted to find out what Hiro was doing, but they knew interrogating Fred was not the way to do it. After all, if Fred had one amiable quality it was his loyalty. If you told him not to tell anyone something, he would make a conscious effort not to do it.

"Okay." Tadashi was the first to speak. "Well, um, I suppose we should dig in before the wings get cold."

There were murmurs of agreement and everyone grabbed a plate and started piling their wings on. They all seemed to be in their own little worlds, wondering what Hiro could possibly be doing that would stop him from hanging out with them.

Fred, not wanting the night to go on in awkward silence, pulled a game off a shelf and asked the others if they wanted to play it and the rest of the night went by with laughter and "in your face!"s as the group of friends fought their way to victory in the game called "Munchkin".

**A/N: I'm going to try to update two or three times a week, but, well, you know how it goes. **

**How do you guys like Jason? Like or no? He actually took a different path than I had originally planned, but I think this is better.**

**Please review!**

**P. S. I keep forgetting this part: I do ****_not_**** own Big Hero 6!**


	4. Chapter 3

"Hey, Jason, thanks for coming on such short notice." Hiro said as he opened the door. It was Friday and Hiro needed Jason to look after Benny for a while because Aunt Cass practically begged him to help at the Cafe. (Okay, so maybe she didn't beg but she still sounded desperate... sort of.)

"No prob." Jason glanced around at the small apartment, taking note of the television immediately to his left and raised an eyebrow. "You keep your TV in your front room?"

"No... Maybe. Look, there's nowhere else to put it." Hiro said, grabbing his keys. "I'll be back at around four. Benny's-"

"Eating cereal at the counter." Jason rolled his eyes. "Dude, relax. I can see him."

Hiro sighed. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Hiro turned to leave.

"Hey, wait." Jason called back. "Do you have a bathroom? And, if so, where is it?"

Hiro smirked. "Down the hall, second door on your left."

"Thanks."

***888***

Hiro entered the cafe and greeted his and Tadashi's friends who were sitting at their usual table close to the counter (should they need to assist Aunt Cass), and got to work behind the counter.

It wasn't long before someone spoke.

"So, Hiro... been to any bot fights recently?" Tadashi's sudden approach made Hiro jump.

"Tadashi!" Hiro jumped. "Hi! Wait"-He frowned-"bot fights?"

"Fred said you were busy last night. I just thought that maybe you were up to your old tricks." Tadashi said as he crossed his arms.

"No. I wasn't bot fighting. I was..." He hesitated. "I was..."

"EATING SUSHI!" George, a regular at the cafe who didn't know how to keep to himself (many believed him to be drunk), jumped to his feet and almost broke the eardrums of every other person in there.

"Uh.. No." Hiro said, rubbing his ear. "I was just busy. I got caught up in a project."

"What kind of project?" Go Go asked, suspiciously.

"A project-y project." Hiro's voice raised slightly (a sure sign he was hiding something) and his weight shifted under the gaze of his friends. "It's a surprise." His voice turned to normal. Technically, that last part was true. They would certainly be surprised.

"Okay, Hiro, but we're watching you." Go Go threatened.

"But in a non-creepy kind of way." Wasabi was so helpful to input.

Go Go's phone went off before she could threaten Hiro further. She answered it and cursed. "Why can't anyone work without me?" She grumbled before heading off to her work

***888***

Go Go burst through the doors to her business, causing her employees to cower. She was obviously livid and they all knew that one wrong turn could get you a death-stare and a ticket to your grave.

"Where is it!?" She growled, trying to keep her temper under control. "Where's the bike?"

"Over hear." Squeaked a small voice that would've sounded manly were it not for the noticeable fear etched in each syllable.

Go Go sighed. Of course Hank would be the one to mess up something as simple as calibrating an electro-mag wheel to stay in place. Why Go Go hadn't gotten rid of him was beyond her.

"I thought I had it." Hank defended himself. "I did it exactly like you showed me."

Go Go inspected the bike, as well as her notes. Looking over every detail with a critical eye. She didn't miss a thing.

"There." She pointed to the small piece of information her excitable employee had overlooked.

"Oh." Came the small reply.

"Do better next time." Go Go exited. She had no time for this. She was onto something huge. Something that would make her bike faster.

***888***

Lily's interview with Hiro had lead her to believe that Benny's father was found by the bar near Blaker street. She entered the establishment (if it could be called such) with no small amount of disgust.

"Young lady." A bartender called her over, his voice thick with an Irish accent. "What brings a fine woman, such as yourself, to this here place at no later than 1:00?"

"I'm looking for someone." Lily said, glancing around.

"Well, miss, unless who ye be looking for me, there's nobody here." He gestured around the empty bar for emphasis.

"The guy I'm looking for was probably here two nights ago." Lily said to the man. "He may have had a child with him."

"Oh, him. Yeah, 'e was here. Thomas Groyler. We sent him away for bringing his kid in."

Lily wrote the name down and inquired, "Do you know where he lives?"

"No. And if you have any sense you won't go looking for him. That man's possessed with the devil." Lily wasn't listening. She had to find Thomas Groyler. If it was the last thing she did.

***888***

Lily found five Thomas Groylers in the phone book, but one of them had the state prison as his address, so Lily quickly crossed him off her list. After that, she called a taxi to drive her to the first address (which turned out to be a bust). After what seemed like forever, Lily found herself in front of a small house that looked semi-abandoned.

"Well, here goes nothing." She muttered to herself as she knocked on the door. She was somewhat taken aback when the door opened slightly. Lily timidly entered the dark front room and called out, "Hello? Is anybody here?"

"Who's there?" Came a gruff reply.

"My name is Lily Pennel and I'm looking for someone named Thomas Groyler?"

"How'd you get in?" A large silhouette entered the other end of a long, menacing hallway.

"I'm sorry." Lily unconsciously took a step back. "I—the door was open."

"Get out."

"Can you tell me anything about what happened two nights ago?"

"I said. Get. OUT!" This outburst was followed by a vase being thrown toward Lily, who ducked, and crash into the wall behind her.

And Lily ran.

***888***

Lily did some research on her phone and found an article on Mrs. Groyler published about a year ago.

_'Tragedy struck the Groyler household last night when twenty-seven yr old _

_Samantha Groyler lost control of her car and ran off the road. Her car was _

_recovered early this morning, but her body was nowhere to be found. Her son,_

_Benjamin, was playing with his uncle (who also mysteriously disappeared) when _

_this event took place. The officer in charge of...'_

Lily couldn't read any more. She needed to tell Hiro.

***888***

Tadashi looked at his not-so-little brother with a concerned look, wondering what he was up to, as the younger Hamada brother filled another order.

Without turning, Hiro said, "Stop that."

"Stop what?" Tadashi asked innocently as he leaned against the counter.

Hiro looked at his brother with an eyebrow raised. "You know what."

"No, I don't." Tadashi frowned.

"Stop looking at me like I'm dying!" Hiro exclaimed. "It's getting annoying."

"How do you know where I'm looking? You've just been staring into space!"

"Because I know you." Hiro crossed his arms. "I feel your concern from a mile away."

"No, you can't" Tadashi rolled his eyes.

"It's true." Hiro nodded sadly. "It keeps me awake at night."

"Whatever." The elder of the two gently nudged his otouto and smiled.

"Hey, 'Dashi?" Hiro used his childhood nickname for his older brother.

"Yeah?"

"Can you get some more cups from the back?" Hiro held an empty bag up to Tadashi's face. "We're all out."

Tadashi rolled his eyes and muttered "Unbelievable." even as he went to obtain some new cups as per Hiro's request.

He was about to enter the kitchen area of the cafe when he heard Hiro's voice say, "You tried to talk to him? Lily, that man is dangerous!"

Tadashi knew it was impolite to eavesdrop, but at the same time, if his little brother was in trouble, he should know about it.

"I know!" a young female voice (probably Lily) responded "But I needed more information. And I found this." a silence passed and Tadashi guessed Lily was showing something to Hiro.

"Why are you showing me this?" Hiro asked after a pause.

"Because! You need to know where Benny's coming from!"

"No. I need to make sure Benny's okay."

Lily growled (or maybe Hiro growled in a feminine tone) and the next thing Tadashyknew, the cafe door was announcing the departure of the female.

Tadashi frowned. What was that all about? He decided to march right up to his brother and demand an explanation, but once he got close to Hiro, he saw worry in his eyes. "What's wrong, Hiro?" he asked instead.

"Nothing." Hiro said as he put on his jacket. "I need to go somewhere."

"But your shift doesn't end for another two and a half hours!" Tadashi tried to reason with Hiro even as his little brother raced out the back door, calling out, "Cover for me!"

***888***

On his way home, Hiro thought about what Lily had told him. Was it true Benny's mother died a year ago? What happened to her body? Why did Benny's uncle disappear at the same time? Could the uncle be involved with her disappearance?

Hiro pondered these questions until he arrived at his apartment, where he found Jason on one end of his couch with a giggling Benny curled up on the other side. Both were smiling.

Jason's eyes lit up when he saw Hiro and asked, "Hey, Hiro, how tall are you?"

Hiro frowned, not expecting the question, and responded, "Six feet, one inch."

Jason puffed out his chest as he turned to Benny. "See? I told you I was taller!"

"How tall are you?" Hiro wanted to know.

"Six feet, _two_ inches."

Hiro rolled his eyes and entered the kitchen, deciding to get himself a sandwich. "Thanks for watching Benny, Jase." Hiro thanked his store friend. "I really appreciate it."

"Like I said before, Hiro, no problem. This kid is amazing, I'd watch him for free."

"You did watch him for free."

"You mean you're not going to pay me?" Jason tried his hardest to look betrayed, but ultimately failed.

"Nope." Hiro didn't even try to sound sorry. "Not after your admittance about how amazing this kid is."

Jason started to protest when Hiro handed him two twenties.

"What's this for?" Jason asked, confused.

"Your pains."

"What? No, I can't take this." Jason tried to shove the money back in Hiro's hand, but Hiro grabbed Jason's hand and forced it close.

"Yes, you can."

"No! Hiro, I don't need this!"

"Maybe you don't, but if my brother or, heaven forbid, my aunt finds out I didn't pay you, I'll be grounded till I'm fifty."

"They can't ground you. You're an adult."

Hiro smirked. "Try telling them that."

***888***

Max Stoker shifted his weight as he went down another aisle of the store. He didn't really care for this part of the job. Why they couldn't just give him enough money to buy everything they needed was beyond him, but Jason's dad said he needed some new chemical ingredients for his drugs and Max wasn't going to let Jason run anymore anymore of his father's errands. Especially when it required some "liberating".

He was almost to the correct chemicals when a tall, brightly colored tree walked into him.

"Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see-" A tall woman with long honey-blond hair and green eyes stopped herself in mid-sentence as she gazed at Max's bright blue hair.

"I don't see how you could _not _see me." Max grumbled, gesturing to his head. He was really upset, but the woman either didn't notice or didn't care because she laughed, a good-natured laugh, and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how I missed you." Her voice was smooth.

Max found he couldn't stay angry and joined in her laughter, though not as heartily. "I dyed my hair to avoid being run into by pretty woman." He joked, then frowned at her wardrobe. "Where'd you get the outfit?"

"I made it myself. I'm Honey Lemon." She held out her hand.

"Names Max Stoker." They shook. "What kind of parents' do you have?"

"Excuse me?" Honey Lemon's smile faltered.

"What kind of parent names their kid 'Honey Lemon'?"

Honey's smile returned and she explained, "Honey Lemon is my nickname. My friend couldn't pronounce my name so he gave me a nickname."

"What's your real name?"

"Aiko Miyazaki."

"Aeko Mikaziki?"

Honey Lemon laughed again. "That's why Fred-my friend-decided to nickname me."

"Okay. Well, maybe I'll see you around, Honey Lemon." Max said as the two parted ways.

***888***

Lily entered her office and came face-to-face with Rachel, a rather plump woman who also worked for child service's. Rachel's brown eyes were narrowed at Lily and her short brown hair was dripping wet, which meant she had been taking a shower before coming.

"Hey, Rache, what's wrong?" Lily attempted to break the ice with her best friend.

"What's wrong?" Rachel threw her arms out. "What's wrong! Why did you tell that boy to take care of the smaller boy!?"

"Rache," Lily began.

"You don't do that! It's unethical!"

"Ra-"

"He doesn't have a right to keep that kid!"

"Rachel!" Lily grabbed her friend by the shoulders and shook her. "Please, before you judge, just listen."

Rachel took a few deep breaths and sat in a chair to listen.

"Rache, when that man, Hiro, first called me, he sounded... upset. Like he didn't know what to do. And when he brought the kid, Benny, in here, Benny looked scared. I know it wasn't the correct thing to do, but I'm sure it was the right one."

Rachel said nothing as she sat, and Lily could swear she saw the gears turning in her head.

"He can't keep him." Rachel said at last.

"Oh, but-"

"Unless he has permission."

Lily looked at Rachel, whose eyes gleamed with mischief. "What are you talking about?"

"We can do a One Month Trial." Rachel's excitement grew with each word she uttered.

"What's that?" Lily asked, confused.

"It's for aspiring adoptive parents who aren't sure if they want to adopt or not. They sign a paper and get to take care of a kid for a month. If the kid or the parent doesn't like the arrangement, the parent doesn't adopt the kid."

"Is it really that simple?" Lily asked.

"No. Since Benny's dad is still around, we'll need his permission too."

"Can't we just make it so he's not around any more?"

"No. That's illegle."

"Yeah, but I don't think jail would be that bad." Lily muttered under her breath.

"We're going to get permission." Rachel said in her 'My word is law' voice.

"What kind of permission?"

"He'll need to sign something."

"Leave it to me." Lily's eyes twinkled with a fire she hadn't had in a while.

"I'll get the paperwork." Rachel exited Lily's office. It took a moment, but she soon returned with the necessary document and handed it to Lily. "Make sure his dad signs here." She pointed to a place on the paper. "And your hero needs to sign here."

"He's not my hero!" Lily denied as her cheeks grew bright red.

"Sure he's not." Rachel smiled, knowingly. "These will need to be signed before you come into work tomorrow."

Lily nodded. This should be easy.

**A/N: I'm just making this up as I go. I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a "One Month Trial" for aspiring parents.**

**Also, it has come to my attention that Hiro probably wouldn't bring a kid home, but I think when Hiro first met Benny, he was tired, confused, and hungry (I don't know about you guys, but if I was like that, I wouldn't be thinking straight). That's why he brought Benny home. **

**Reviews and Constructive Criticism are always welcome.**

**This month I'm really busy (I'm in a play and practices are becoming more frequent) so I might not be able to write as much as I would like, but I'll try to update as frequently as possible!**

**I'm also pretty sure my computer is possessed (anyone know how to do an exorcism?), so that will dampen my speedy updates as well. *sigh***

**Lots of Love,**

**Queen**


	5. Chapter 4

Benny tossed and turned in his sleep. He was sweating; his hair sticking to his face. He knew he was just having a nightmare, so he tried to wake up, but his eyes wouldn't open. His arms moved slowly, as if unsure about whether or not he knew what he was doing.

Benny started to cry. He could feel the hot tears rolling down his face. He wished he could just open his eyes.

Where was Hiro? Or Jason? Or even that nice lady from the colorful building who kept pursing her lips? Didn't they know he was in trouble? Didn't they know he needed them?

He didn't realize he was whimpering until he felt strong arms encircle his small frame and the calm voice of Hiro telling him it was okay and that he had him. Benny snuggled close to the person that saved him from his father as he slowly started to calm down.

He felt something in his stomach burst, as if trying to escape, and the next thing he knew he was being ran into the bathroom. They made it just in time as Benny's dinner spewed into the toilet, the experience was so terrible, Benny started to cry all over again. Hiro gently rubbed tiny circles into his back as more and more vomit exploded out of the young boys mouth.

When he was done, Hiro asked, "You feeling better, bud?" to which Benny responded by nodding his head, not daring to speak for fear of spewing his lunch, too.

"Good." There was a pause and Benny knew Hiro was thinking. "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

Benny looked up at Hiro, quizzically. Did he really want a kid, who might throw up, in his bed?

Hiro's face was serious. He looked like how Benny's mom used to whenever he came home with a black eye. She'd always purse her lips and say 'Did you walk into another tree, Robin Hood?'.

Hiro didn't do that. Instead, he scooped Benny up in his arms and carried him into his room.

***888***

Lily woke up happy. She already had Benny's father's signature (which she obtained through only a small amount of deception) and now all she needed was Hiro's. She got up and took a shower. Putting her favorite shirt on, she made herself some toast and headed out the door and to her car. Lily put her keys in the ignition and turned, only to hear her beloved black 1967 Chevrolet Impala roll over and die.

"What?" She gasped, eyes wide. "No! Nononononononono! Please, baby, work for me." She murmured encouraging words as she tried again and again to start her car, but to no avail. Lily got out of the car having deciding to poke around the hood. She might not have the skills of a mechanic, but she could still fix most car problems. But, alas, Princess Lei (as Lily's brother, Matt, insisted on calling it) was officially and unequivocally kaputt (broken). After twenty long years with the Pennel family, it was bound to happen eventually. The only thing Lily could do now was call and tell her brother (who would undoubtedly host a funeral, somehow get a hold of her list of contacts, and invite everyone she knew to attend) and get a taxi.

Which she did. Though, not necessarily in that order.

The phone call with Matthias Pennel went a lot better than Lily thought it would, considering his love for that old movie series he used to watch all the time. What was the name again? Something Wars? Star Trek? No—Star Wars! He named Lily's car after Dark Father's (or whatever his name was) daughter!

Man, he needs to get a life.

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do?" Matt asked, talking about their other brother, David.

"Yep. She's dead." Lily closed the hood.

"Oh, Princess Lei." Lily could hear the sorrow in his voice and rolled her eyes.

"It was just a car."

"'Just a car'?!" Matt's voice rose slightly. "'Just a car'!? Princess Lei was so loyal to us. She was Uncle Tom's first car. She had so much to live for!"

"She was a car. Cars aren't alive."

"She was precious! Rest in peace, Princess Lei! May your sisters greet you at the gates of car heaven."

Lily noticed her taxi coming up her street. "Hey, Matt, I have to go. My taxi's here."

"You don't even have the decency to walk! It hasn't been ten minutes and already you're looking at other cars!" Matt hung up.

Sighing, Lily got in the taxi and told the driver where she was headed.

***888***

Hiro hadn't been able to sleep all night. He couldn't help it. He kept thinking about how Fred had told him everyone would find out about Benny eventually. But did he want to wait? No, waiting would elicit pain from Go Go and possibly Tadashi for not bringing Benny by sooner.

So, when his alarm went off, Hiro got himself and Benny ready to go and the two of them headed out.

When they arrived at the cafe, everyone else was already there. The morning crowd had started to trickle in, but not enough that Aunt Cass needed any help. Benny stayed behind Hiro a bit as they walked over to Hiro's friends, so it looked to the others as though Hiro was alone.

Go Go was leaning on the back of Tadashi's chair, chewing gum and looking over his shoulder at his laptop screen. Honey Lemon was discussing the possibility of an invisibility potion with Fred (Fred was trying to convince her to at least try, and Honey Lemon was telling him it was "not science"). And Wasabi was organizing the napkins.

"Hey, Hiro!" Wasabi looked up and acknowledged his younger friend.

"Hey." Hiro suddenly wasn't too sure about bringing Benny along. If nothing else, Wasabi was sure to lecture him on how his apartment was no place for a kid ("There are hazards everywhere!").

"Hir—whoa! You, uh, brought the kid." Fred interrupted his own greeting when he saw the smallish figure behind Hiro.

"Yeah." Hiro confirmed.

"Wait, what kid?" Tadashi was on full alert, looking around for a small person, his eyes resting on Benny.

"Aw, he's so cute!" Honey Lemon instantly got in Benny's face, asking him more questions than he had time to think of an answer.

"Is he yours?"

The question came from the overprotective older brother. Everyone suddenly turned to Hiro, expecting the answer that began with 'Y' and ended in 'es'. Except for Fred (who tried to hide his grin with a sleeve laced with odd bits of food).

"No." Hiro said it as monotone as possible, though some of his agitation seeped through. "He's not."

"You sure?" Go Go looked Benny up and down. "He looks like one of yours."

"Well, he's not—wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"You have more!?" Tadashi looked like he was going into a panic attack, his eyes wide as they searched for anyone that could tell him it wasn't true.

"He's not my son!" Hiro shouted.

The awkward silence that followed could have killed the Chuck Norris. Maybe. Hiro shifted from one foot to the other. He hadn't meant to yell so loudly. He glanced toward the door. Maybe he could run and hide under a rock for the next two centuries.

Hiro was trying to figure out an escape plan when Benny spoke.

"Hey, dad, where's the bathroom?"

Hiro turned to Benny and was shocked to see Benny looking at him with a teasing grin on his face.

_He didn't._ Hiro thought, _He couldn't have._

But he did.

Little Benny had convinced everyone in the Lucky Cat Cafe that Hiro was his father.

Hiro looked as if he had been betrayed (and, in a way, he had).

Benny quickly looked down, but the damage was done.

"Hiro?" Aunt Cass called from over the counter, but before she could say anything more, the door opened and Lily Pennel entered the scene.

She took a few stops before stopping and glanced around, confused. "What's going on here?" She asked, her eyes scanning the room for the culprit of the silence. Her gaze landed on Hiro and Benny. She seemed to hesitate before daring to make her way over to them. "Hiro? What happened?"

"He called me dad." Hiro mumbled.

"What?" Lily asked.

"He called me dad!" Hiro threw his hands up in the air. "Now I won't be able to go anywhere with these guys!" he gestured to his friends.

Lily blinked. "So?"

"'So'? 'So'!? They'll tease me until I die!" Hiro had turned, so he didn't see the tears forming in Lily's eyes, otherwise he would have stopped. "I'm ruined! I'm a laughing stock!"

"I didn't know being a dad was so terrible." Lily's voice was so small Hiro almost didn't hear her.

Hiro's head jerked as he quickly looked at her. "Lily, I-I didn't mean it like that."

"Than what did you mean?" Lily's eyes searched for an answer in Hiro's soul. Hiro, for all his genius, looked ashamed.

Tired of waiting, Lily turned on her heels and stormed out.

"Lily, wait!" Hiro bolted after her. "Wait!"

***888***

Allister Krei sat in silence as he turned another page of that kids file. "Zhu Li, why hasn't this been digitized yet?" he asked his assistant.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll get right on that." Zhu Li hurried to do as she was asked.

"Good." Krei said when she finished. "Now, tell me, what do you see?" He asked as he gestured to the screen.

"The Manning kid."

"Yes, Garret Manning."

"Jason."

"Whatever. He was the first, wasn't he?"

"I wouldn't know. I was hired after they shut that project down."

"Yes, of course." Krei's features turned sour. "None of the others could handle it. They all had to go die, causing the government to cease funding saying, 'If it's killing all it's test subjects, it's not worth making'." he scoffed. "They all died. Except you." he turned back to the screen. "Why do you still live" What are you hiding? What makes you tick?"

***888***

Benny stared to where Hiro and Lily had left. He hadn't meant to cause such a scene. Why was Lily so upset?

"Hey, are you okay?" One of the men Hiro was talking to asked as he knelt down to Benny's eye level.

Benny looked at him. "I didn't mean to-"

"He's not your dad, is he?" It was more of a statement than a question. Benny nodded. "Come on." The man stood and Benny followed him to the back room and up some stairs. "I'm Tadashi." he said as they entered the attic area.

"Benny." Benny responded as he gazed at all the objects in the room. There were action figures on a shelf, a desk, a bed that looked like it hadn't been slept in, another bed that looked like it had been slept in recently, wires, gears, and other odd objects lying around. Benny walked over to a bed and sat down. "Is Hiro in trouble?" He asked, genuinely concerned for the older boy.

Tadashi chuckled. "Probably." he nodded and sat down next to Benny, holding one of the action figures in his hands. It looked like a black star with a smiley face that was drawn on by a two year old.. "But don't worry. Hiro's smart. He'll get out of it."

Benny just nodded again.

"So, how did you and Hiro meet?"

Benny explained the events of the morning Hiro had found him.

"Really?" Tadashi looked thoughtful. "Why was he out so early?" Benny shrugged. "You don't talk much, do you?" The elder of the two noted.

Benny shrugged again and lowered his head. He was thinking about Hiro. Was he in big trouble? Was Lily going to kill him? What had he said wrong?

"It's not your fault, you know." Tadashi said it as though he'd said it many times before.

"How do you know?"

"Because Hiro's my brother. If it's anyones fault, it's mine."

Benny gave a questioning look.

"My Aunt Cass and I basically raised him. If he ends up dead it's our fault. We should have raised him better." Tadashi gave one of his famous good-natured smiles (he didn't know it was famous) and patted the five-year-old on the back. "Come on. Let's go meet everyone else."

***888***

Jason walked briskly through the hallway of his fathers workplace (if you could call it that), turning corners and ignoring anyone and everyone else. Some might say he thought there was no one else. Those people were always new. They'd learn.

Upon arriving at his destination, Jason stopped.

"Your father is ready for you." Lisa, Jason's dad's assistant, said.

"Thanks, Lisa, I think I'll wait here for a moment."

Lisa shrugged her shoulders and started typing something on her computer.

Jason entered the big dark room. He noticed the vague outline of who he assumed was his father sitting at an overly huge desk. A glass of wine was held between his fingers.

"Son." The only person in the room said (though Jason was pretty sure he said it because he, too, couldn't remember his name).

"Father." Jason replied with an air of mock respect.

"Don't play games with me. Did your encounter go well?" The figure began to lift his glass.

"Oh, it went swimmingly." Jason moved about the room as he had done on every meeting with the man in shadows. "Except the part where Mr. Ponytail almost killed me."

The glass stopped. "Were you hurt?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "No. Max showed up."

There was a grunt of acknowledgement. There was a silence that followed before his dad said, "That is all. You may go."

Jason bowed, deeply, mocking the other men whom his father allowed into his presence, and left. Behind him he heard an exasperated sigh and a lopsided grin graced his lips.

***888***

Yama glowered at the men in front of him. How many times had they failed to obtain the blueprints for the time-machine Krei was trying to build? Did they even know what they were doing? They were supposed to be the most elite group of thieves on the planet, but they couldn't take candy from a baby if their lives depended on it.

"You have failed me." He stated. "Again." He grinned when he noticed one of the men cringe.

"We're sorry." The leader, a muscularly bald man with one green eye and an eye-patch, said.

"Not sorry enough." Yama made his way to a table where he kept most of his necessities and picked up a hand gun. He turned to his targets, ready to slay them all, but stopped when the package Jason delivered caught his eye. And his blood boiled. That boy had to be disciplined. And Yama knew just the men to do it.

"I would end you here and now." He said, so that they would know their lives were worthless. "But I'm feeling merciful today." He turned and placed the gun back on the table. "So I will give you another challenge. An easier challenge." He looked straight in the leaders eye. "Find the one who brought me that package"-He paused for effect-"and end him."

**A/N: Whew! I got a chapter in before my first play performance! I'd like to thank you all for your patience with me as I attempt to battle the foes of writers everywhere; Socializing. **

**I know some of you may think Benny was OOC this chapter, but I feel the need to remind you that he is ****_my_**** character (plus, he told me to write him that way).**

**I hope you all liked it! Please review!**


	6. Chapter 5

"_Please look into the light." The female doctor with the long black ponytail and big glasses said to the volunteers of project 'The Griffin' on the other side of the protective glass. Her white lab coat flowed behind her as she went from computer to computer checking for any signs of trouble. "Number 3, would you mind stepping into room C?"_

_A young woman of about fourteen with short blond hair and gray eyes turned to the mentioned door and entered the Bio-Alt chamber. The other volunteers followed her with their eyes, but other than that none dared moved. They had been told the importance of patience in the project. One wrong move could tear everything apart. _

"_Number 7? Please enter room D." _

_Number 7, a young man of about thirteen with green eyes and golden blond hair, turned toward another door, but hesitated before entering. Unlike the others, he had seen one of the files. None of the other ones made it. Something always went wrong. And they died. He didn't know about the aothers, but he really didn't want to die._

_Not Number 7._

_Not Jason Manning._

_He entered the room and thought for what seemed like the millionth time that his father was crazy for making him do this. _

_The room looked the way one might think a surgery room might look. Everyone wore white, there were machines beeping and wires crossing, and a table for the__ (victim) __volunteer to lay on._

"_If you would just lay down there." A man said. His round glasses made his blue eyes look twice as big as they actually were. Jason did as told._

_The people in the room hooked the young man up to all the machines in the room and restrained his arms so that he wouldn't be able to thrash about._

_Orders were given and buttons and levers were pushed. All was going smoothly until Jason felt a static shock. It hurt, but not that much._

_And then the power went out._

_***888***_

"_Come on, Lily!" a sixteen-year-old Matthias Pennel called back to his super slow sister. "He'll be here in only three minutes!"_

"_Why?" Came the thirteen-year-olds' reply. "I don't even know him."_

_The Pennels' were at the airport to pick up Sargent Lance Pennel, a war vet. He had been gone for ten years and was finally allowed to go home after an accident cost him his friends and his right arm. _

"_But he's Dad." ten-year-old David trailed behind his mother as they raced to find the man he'd heard so much about. "And Matt said he could teach us to build a car!"_

"_Teach who to build a car?" The voice was like music. They all turned to see the tall form of one Sargent Pennel, the worlds greatest dad (at least, that's what the coffee mug they go for him said). His brown hair was buzzed and his hazel eyes sparkled with amusement. "Hello, young man." He said to David. "You must be..." He paused as if trying to think. "David!" He snapped his fingers as if he'd figured it out on his own._

_David jumped up and down and exclaimed, "He knows my name! Dad knows my name!" to which they chuckled._

_Lily just rolled her eyes._

"_Uh, oh." Their Dad turned to her. "It seems you've caught the Disbeleifitis. But that's okay. I know how to fix that." He reached out and twisted his daughters ears until she, despite her best efforts not to, grinned. "There. That's better." Then he turned to the rest of his family and they lead him home for the first time if ten years._

_***888***_

"_What happened?" one of the scientists asked when the room went dark._

"_Samuel went to check the breaker." another scientist replied._

_Jason looked around. It was pitch black. Nobody could see anything. But Jason had a keen sense of sight and could remember the room almost perfectly. He knew his dad wanted him to go through with it, but he had no intention of dying, so he decided to get out while he could. He carefully fought against one of his restraints; one that had been done too loose. He was able to pry it open and with that his right hand was free. He then went on to free the rest of himself and when he was done, he crept off the table and used his memory and his sense of hearing to guide himself toward the door. He couldn't exit the room until the power came back on (all the doors being automatically locked) so he crouched down in a corner and waited._

_The lights flickered back to life and the door opened at the same time. In the instant all adult personnel were blinded, Jason booked it out of there, He ran down the halls of the building until he came to an open door with a big pod inside. His head jerked when he heard footsteps approaching and quickly opened the pod; thinking he'd just hide in it until the commotion passed._

_He'd just gotten snug in the pod when he heard the heavy footsteps run by. One set of feet, however, slowed down and entered the very room Jason was in. Whoever it was must not have known whether or not Jason was there because they stepped carefully as they crossed the room to the panel. While looking around, the person bumped into something (probably a chair) and a light in the pod went on (hopefully a chair)._

_It wasn't a chair._

_Jason felt something prick his arm and saw some blue liquid being administered to his forearm. After he saw that he couldn't see much else as the light kept getting brighter and brighter until he had to close his eyes (unless he wanted to go blind). His mind barely registered another needle in his other arm. Even with his eyes scrunched as tightly as possible, all Jason could see was white. He dared not make a sound, though the pain was unbearable, so he bit his lip so hard he made it bleed. He let the coppery taste of the red liquid distract him from all his pain, but only for a moment. _

_Jason was done. Finished. He was going to die. He let the thought of death consume him as he waited for the end._

_And then the pain stopped._

_And the light went out._

_And the pod's door opened._

_And there stood a group of twenty or so men staring at him as if he were the devil._

_And all Jason could do was fall flat on his face._

_***888***_

"_So your family thinks he's never seen a movie before?" Kathy, Lily's friend, questioned over the phone. "That's so lame."_

"_I know, right!" Lily responded as she rolled over onto her stomach and looked at the clock that read 6:42. "We're going to go see 'Tangled' in the theater because it's the only Disney movie that looks halfway interesting." She sighed. "Why can't Dad just go by himself?"_

"_Lily!" Lily's mom's voice was heard from the doorway._

_Lily was startled and accidentally hung up on her friend. _

"_That is no way to treat your father!" Mrs. Pennel placed both her hands on her hips. "He's a very brave man!"_

"_Yeah." Lily grumbled. "He's so brave for going away to some third-world country and leaving us here to try and make things work without him." She tried to walk past her mother, but Mrs. Pennel stepped in her way._

"_You will not use that tone of voice in this house. Do you understand?"_

_Lily rolled her eyes._

"_I said: Do. You. Understand?" Mrs. Pennel's patience was as thin as a string. She didn't expect everything to go smoothly when her husband came home, but she also didn't expect this attitude from her daughter._

_Lily, on the other hand, thought she was being treated unfairly. "Fine! She said. "I won't use that tone of voice in this house! Do you want to know why? Because I won't be here!" She shoved her mother aside and stormed out of the house._

"_Lily Beatrice Pennel! Where do you think you're going!" Mrs. Pennel called after her._

"_Somewhere where I won't be bothered by you!" Lily yelled as she ran to the only place she knew to go. She didn't know very many places, other than school and the ice cream parlor. Her only real refuge was Kathy's house, so that was where she went._

_***888*** _

_**WARNING: The following scene has some content that is not for the faint of heart (Almost Rape!)**_

_Lily knew her mother didn't know where Kathy's house was. That's why she went there. She knocked on the door, expecting Kathy's mom or dad to answer, but Kathy was the one who opened the door. She seemed startled to find Lily there, but welcomed her in anyway. "You're just in time!" She said as she led Lily to the kitchen. "My folks are out of town so I decided to throw a little party." She said when she noticed her friends eyes linger on the decorations. "I was going to invite you, but you said you had to go to that movie."_

"_Well, I don't." Lily replied tartly._

"_That's good." Kathy smiled. "Will this be your first party?"_

_Lily nodded._

"_You're going to love it."_

_The doorbell rang and the first guests entered. People kept entering until there was nowhere that could be considered 'private'. The music was so loud,Lily wanted to plug her ears. And she was pretty sure most of the 'guests' were drunk._

_Lily pushed her way past a group of people until she found her friend. "Kathy!" She yelled over the music. "Do you even know who any of these people are!?" Kathy just grinned in response. "Hey, Lily!" She said as if she just had an idea. "I want you to meet some other friends of mine! They're in my room!" Kathy grabbed Lily's arm and dragged her through the crowd and up some stairs to her room where three tall dark male teenagers sat around drinking from some bottles. The tallest came over and looked Lily up and down. "She new?" he asked. Lily looked at Kathy, questioningly, but Kathy didn't look at her and nodded at the boy. "She'll need to be broken in." another guy said._

_The first boy gently grabbed Lily's arm and led her to the bed. He pushed her down so she was sitting and one snap of his fingers got his friends to grab her limbs. They each took one arm and a leg. The one on her left leaned in and licked her neck from her collarbone to her ear, which caused her to shiver and try to get away._

"_K-K-Kathy?" Lily asked, uncertainly. "Whats going on?" Her heart was racing. She looked over to her friend, hoping Kathy was just as appalled as she was and would sent these boys away for treating her like that, but Kathy just stared at her with a sinister look._

_The first boy knelt down in front of her and placed his hands on her stomach. He moved his hands until they were under her shirt, touching her bare skin. Lily thought he was going to stop there, but he kept moving until his hands rested on her pants button. He grinned an evil grin and undid her pants._

_She never knew the sound of a zipper could be so terrifying._

_Lily closed her eyes so that she wouldn't see what happened next; she felt the two boys at her sides close in on her, both licking her neck as if trying to clean it, while the hands on her waist slowly curled it's fingers around her pants and started to tug them off._

_She screamed._

_Her scream was quickly silenced by what she assumed were a pair of lips crashing into her own. Whoever was invading her mouth must have been drinking something awful because Lily could taste it and it was revolting. She tried to squirm out of their grasp, but the three of them against one of her meant they had the upper hand and whatever they wanted to do with her was up to them. She was powerless._

_Lily accepted her fate and waited for her ruin. _

_But it never came._

_She kept her eyes closed as she felt her attackers being thrown off of her. She felt big arms lift her gently, carefully, and carry her away. A car door was opened and she felt herself being placed inside. There was silence for a moment and Lily wondered what was happening when the drivers side door opened and closed. The engine was started and Lily was driven away._

_After a while, she felt the need to look at the driver. She opened her eyes._

_And saw her dad._

_***888*** __**Okay, it's over**_

_Jason woke up and the first thing he noticed was his missing shoes. The next thing he noticed was that he was on a table. He turned his head to see more scientists everywhere (did they grow on trees here?)._

"_Hello, 7." One of them greeted him. "How are you feeling?"_

_Jason thought for a moment and said, "Fine."_

"_7, you may be experiencing shock. Please concentrate and tell me if you feel any pain."_

_Jason concentrated on any pain he was feeling and shook his head. "I feel fine." As if to emphasize his point, he stood up and walked around. "See? I'm good."_

"_But... you didn't have the proper... you shouldn't even be... How are you still alive?"_

_Jason looked at the scientist, questioningly. "Why wouldn't I be?" he said as he found his shoes and put them on. There. That was much better. "It's not like I actually did your stupid test."_

_He went to the door and walked out._

"_But you did." One scientist said after the door closed behind him. "You just don't know it."_

_***888***_

_Lily's dad took her to a parking lot and parked the car. Lily didn't meet his eyes as she tried to control her sobs (they escaped no matter what)._

"_Did you know them?" She heard him ask. She shakes her head violently. She looked into her dads eyes as she let the tears flow from her own. "Wh-what were they-?" She started but was cut off by a sharp, "Don't ask."_

_Mr. Pennel was livid. What kind of monster attacks a child? For a moment, he feared his precious daughter had been through this before, but the look on her face told him otherwise. "Are you alright?" He asked. He didn't expect and answer, but had to ask the question._

_Lily threw herself into her fathers chest and let her sobs rack her body. "I was so-so scared, Dad!" She gasped for breath and barely managed to get enough air before it all burst out. She felt her dad gently rub her back and pull her close. She heard him say comforting words in her ear, telling her everything was alright. They sat there until Lily had calmed down enough to go home._

**A/N: Okay, well that was different. I really don't want to write like that again.**

**Just out of couriosity, who thinks Lily's dad killed those guys?**

**I forgot to say this last time: I don't own BH6 or any other material from any other fandom that may have ended up in that/this last chapter.**

**Some decisions have been made concerning the future of this fic and I can honestly say that there will be more blood. And adventure. And other good things.**

**I hope no one is confused about why Lily thinks so highly of dads now (not that anyone was confused before).**

**Please review! Tell me what you thought! Or just tell me if you've seen a one-eyed one-horned giant purple people eater!**

**Love you all!**

**Queen**


	7. Chapter 6

Max Stoker entered Harold Manning's office with a look that said "If I could get away with murder you'd be dead before you could say 'Freeze' ".

"I see you received my message." Jason's father said. He held a piece of bread in his hands. "Good. Come sit." He gestured to a chair.

Max ignored it and walked straight up to the man behind the desk. "What were you thinking!" He yelled as he threw a concealed dagger at the wall. "Do you want Jason to die!?" Another dagger flew two inches away from the first. "Or would you rather he get pummeled until neither of us can recognize him!?"

Mr. Manning held up his hand. "He hasn't been sent on anymore errands, so I assume you're referring to the Yama incident."

"You know he wants blood."

"And it doesn't really matter who it's from. Yama likes to inflict pain on others because he once had pain inflicted on him." He picked up a butter knife and buttered his bread.

"You don't even care, do you?" Max's voice had lowered. "He could be dying and you wouldn't even care enough to plan his funeral." Disbelief was apparent in his voice.

The butter knife stopped. "No. I would do anything to ensure my son's safety. That is why I called you."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"Jason told me of how you saved him from Mr. Yama."

Max grunted in reply.

"I would like you to watch over him. Make sure he's okay. And above all else, don't let him know what I've asked of you. If he should find out, I'll never hear the end of it."

Max stood in thought for a moment before nodding his head in agreement and exiting the room.

***888***

"Lily, wait!" Hiro called as he ran after the young woman, telling her to stop (which she didn't do) or slow down (she didn't do that either). She eventually ran out of breath and Hiro grabbed her arm and forced her to halt.

Lily calmed down enough to let Hiro speak, but she wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Lily." He began when he'd caught his breath. He wasn't sure what he was going to say. "I... when I said I was ruined I just meant that..." He grabbed her shoulders. "I would like to dad one day, but not now. I'm not even dating! Benny's just-"

"Just what?" Lily lifted her green eyes to meet his and Hiro lowered his own brown ones.

"Benny deserves better than me." He said in a whisper. He let go of her and turned. "I was lucky enough to have Tadashi to raise me, but Benny? Who did he have? I would be a horrible father. Benny would have a better chance living on the street."

"No, he wouldn't." Lily replied. "My dad was a soldier. He was gone for ten years. I hated him for being away. I became a rebel and when he came home I... got myself caught up in something, I thought—wished— I was going to die. I thought no one could help me. And then I was saved. My dad brought me back to humanity. He taught me what it meant to really live." Lily placed a hand on Hiro's chin and guided his eyes to her own. "He also taught me how to build a car." She grinned.

"But what does that have to do with me?" Hiro turned away from her again.

"My dad was gone for ten years. He was out of practice with his kids. But when he came home, he took to parenting like a fish to water."

"I still don't understand."

"All I'm saying is, it's not how long you're there for your kid. It's how much you care for them. I've seen the way you interact with Benny. You'd make a good dad."

Hiro looked up at her. "Thanks."

"But, I didn't come all this way to give you a Daddy Pep Talk. Here." She handed him some paper. "I need you to sign this."

"What is it?" Hiro asked as he read through the documents. "Is this an adoption form?" He asked.

"It's a One Month Trial... Thing." Lily responded.

"Ah. Of course. Why didn't I think of that?" He read the document thought for a moment. "Why do I need to sign this?"

"Because if you don't Benny could be taken away and given back to his father."

"And when the month is done? What then?"

"Then, if all goes right, Benny will go into a good foster home."

Hiro's heart sank. Benny was going to be taken away. This could be the last moments Hiro had with him.

He still wasn't sure about being a dad, but he signed the paper anyway. For Benny.

***888***

Jason walked down the street with another package. He could drive to where he was going. If he had a drivers license (it wasn't his fault he failed the driving test!... Okay, maybe it was). He held onto this package more securely than any of the others. This one was going to an unknown buyer, which meant that he didn't know their face. Which meant he didn't know how they'd react if their property was misplaced.

He turned a corner and ran into four of Yama's

"What's in the pretty package?" A man with one gray eye and an eye patch asked in a deep voice as he yanked it from Jason's grip and violently shook it. Jason prayed whatever was in there wasn't fragile.

"Oh, does the delivery man not speak?" Another man asked. His muscles bulged so it looked like his shirt was going to tear itself apart. "Did you never learn?" He asked Jason in a voice that sounded like he was talking to a baby. "Do you need your mama to teach you?" He asked and Jason took a swing at him (completely missing) and made a grab for the package. Eyepatch man tackled Jason and turned him around so that his hands were behind his back. Jason struggled against his captor as Muscles made his way forward, balling his hands into fists. He put one hand on Jason's shoulder and pulled the other one back. Jason squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the blow.

"Hey!" Max threw a book at the Eyepatch's face and rammed the Muscles, causing Jason to almost fall over before catching him. "You okay?" Max asked.

"I thought I was a dead man." Jason looked at his friend thankfully.

"You were." Came the snarky reply. "You're lucky I come this way on my way—Oof!" The last bit was because another man with dark skin had picked up a wooden board and swung it at Max, hitting him squarely in the stomach and causing him to fly backward into Muscles, who picked him up and threw him on the ground.

Max groaned. He'd feel that in the morning. "Is that the best that you can do?" He wheezed.

"If I threw you any harder you would be dead." Muscles said to Max. He pulled a dagger out of who-knows-where and made a stab for Max, who rolled over, and the blade hit the ground. Max swung his legs around, knocking Muscles down (who hit his head), and landed on his feet. "Oh, yeah! Eat dirt, loser!" Max yelled in victory over the fallen man.

Jason, on the other hand, was being crushed between a brick wall and Eyepatch Guy.

"Give up!" Eyepatch was growling. "Give up, and your end will be quick and painless."

"Never!" Jason grabbed the man and pushed him away by putting his feet against the wall and extending his legs.

"Stop, Drop and Roll!" Max called out the protocol for when someone was on fire, nevertheless, Jason dropped to the ground and rolled away. He looked up in time to see a wooden board, probably the same one used against Max, fly towards Eyepatch, who fell down. "Come on!" Max grabbed Jason and pulled him away.

***888***

Hiro entered his aunt's cafe from the back, not wanting to disturb the costumers anymore than he already had. He walked up the steps to the Hamada's living room slowly, having a hunch his friends had decided to wait for him. Sure enough, when his hair peeked over the top stair, Hiro's friends' were there to greet him.

Tadashi had Benny sitting on his lap and as soon as Benny saw Hiro he ran forward, rambling on about how sorry he was, much to the confusion of Hiro (what did he have to be sorry about?), who knelt down and wrapped Benny in a bear hug. Benny didn't know what to do and the action was so foreign to him that the only thing he _could _do was stop talking and start crying. So, he buried his face in Hiro's shirt and wept. Hiro instinctively held Benny tighter. The moment was perfect. Hiro wished he could stay that way forever.

There was a flash which made Hiro look up to see that Honey Lemon had taken a picture of the scene and was now showing everyone.

"You better send that to me." Go Go said.

"Me too! I'm going to make it my laptop back-round!" Fred commented.

"I want mine on a T-shirt." Tadashi said, only half-kidding.

"Or a billboard." Aunt Cass had come up to grab herself some lunch and saw the whole thing.

"Why do you guys have to torture me like this?" Hiro groaned as he stood.

"Because we're a family." Tadashi said. "And that's what family does."

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome, lil' bro."

Hiro rolled his brown eyes and looked at Benny. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." Benny wiped his eyes. "I'm fine."

"Good." Hiro pulled Benny in for another hug and this time he didn't look up when he saw the flash.

***888***

Lily entered her office and showed the documents to Rachel. "See?" She said. "Piece of cake."

Rachel looked over everything before nodding. "Good." She sighed in relief. "Robby and I are going to a movie later, want to come?"

Lily smiled. Robby was Rachel's husband (Lily was positive there was never a couple more perfect for each other than Robby and Rachel). "You sure I won't be intruding?"

"Of course not. Robby and I enjoy your company. Just..." Rachel hesitated for a moment. "Promise you won't talk during the movie. Robby doesn't like it when you talk."

Lily nodded her agreement. "I promise."

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "I'm serious, Lily. No. Talking."

"I know!" Lily held up her hands in defense. "I promise I won't say a word!"

"You better not."

***888***

Max crawled through a window and landed and his apartment floor with a groan. "That's what I get for helping Jason." Max muttered to himself. He stumbled around until he made it to his bathroom, where he got a really nice look at himself. "I look like I got run over." He commented. He got a washcloth out of a drawer and wet it. "Next time, I'm bringing backup." He decided as he cleaned his head injury.

Max jumped when he heard a sound come from the other room. He grabbed a baseball bat and went to investigate. No one else had a key to his apartment. Or, at least, no one else was _supposed_ to have a key. If someone was in his living space, Max wanted to know who it was. "Who's there?" He called out. He heard a noise from his bedroom."I'm warning you! I have a black belt in the art of... Origami!"

"The art of paper folding?" A dark figure stepped into the door frame and spoke in a deep voice, obviously using a voice modulator.

"I was really hoping you wouldn't know what that meant." Max said. He started to back away.

"Oh, don't run." The figure spoke as he made his way toward the window Max had just come through. "I'm not here to harm you. I just came to tell you something."

"What?" Max asked, irritated this guy was in his apartment.

"You can't save him."

"Who?" Max's irritation changed to confusion.

"Jason." The figure replied. "You can't save him. You'd be a fool if you tried."

"I did save him."

"Not when it will matter. He is needed."

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Max grew angry and threw the baseball bat at the figure who seemed to vanish into thin air. Max sunk to the floor. Was it true? Would he be unable to save Jason when it really mattered? Max sat and pondered the figures' words.

***888***

Hiro and Benny exited the theater with Honey Lemon, Fred, Wasabi, Go Go, and Tadashi (Fred had somehow managed to convince everyone to see some new superhero movie).

"Man, that was awesome!" Fred exclaimed. "Even better than... whatever it was Tadashi wanted to watch."

"Yeah." Hiro agreed. "There's no way Tadashi could've chosen better than you." His voice was laced with sarcasm.

"Ha ha." Tadashi ruffled his brother's black hair. "Let's get something to eat and then-"

"Hiro?"

The group turned to see Lily walking away from the concession stand with another woman and a man.

"Hey, look, Hiro, it's your girlfriend." Tadashi teased. Hiro shoved him.

"Oh, so this is Hiro." The other girl said as they came over. "It's soo nice to meet you, Hiro. Lily's told me a lot about-ugh!" Lily elbowed her.

"Groundhogs! I've told her a lot about groundhogs." Hiro could've sworn her face went red.

"I didn't know you knew anything about groundhogs?" Hiro replied.

"Lily, you didn't-" the other woman started.

"Shut up, Rachel." Lily said.

"Dear, I think we should go make sure no one has taken our spots." The man gently pulled Rachel away.

Lily looked awkwardly at the small group. "So... How was your movie?"

"Fantastic!" Fred cried. "I'm Fred!" He shook her hand. "And this is Go Go, Wasabi, Tadashi and Honey Lemon." He pointed to the respective person as he said their names.

"And Jason!" Jason jumped out of nowhere, startling everyone (especially Hiro).

"Jason!" Hiro gasped as a hand flew to his chest. "What the heck, man?" He questioned.

"Sorry, Hiro." Jason couldn't help but laugh at his friend's reaction. "I had no idea you were such a wuss."

"I'm not a wuss. You just startled me."

"Oh, I think we all know I did more than just 'startle' you." Jason looked around and got confirmation from everyone who saw what happened.

"I'm pretty sure he jumped ten feet in the air." Go Go said.

"No," Tadashi said. "It was more like twenty."

"I say fifteen." Lily said.

"You guys do realize this theater's ceiling is only ten feet high, right?" Hiro rolled his eyes.

Jason sighed. "Hiro." He placed his hands on Hiro's shoulders and forced him to look in his eyes. "No one cares how tall the ceiling is."

"I do." Hiro grumbled.

"You don't count." Jason turned to Tadashi. "You must be Hiro's relative. Hiro has told me absolutely nothing about you."

"And you must be Hiro's friend." Tadashi nodded. "Hiro hasn't told me anything about you either."

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Tadashi, this is Jason. Jason, Tadashi."

Jason nodded. "You guys hungry? 'Cause I know a great place to eat."

**A/N: So sorry for the long wait! My only excuse (besides having a terrible computer) is that this chapter was super hard for me to write! (I'm not very good at action scenes, but I try any way, for all of you! :D)**

**Just incase anyone is wondering: Yes, Rachel and Robby did just ditch Lily. No, they're not mean. **

**Robby actually went to college with the gang, but did his own thing, so none of them recognized him.**

**Anyway, thank's to all who review! Have a great summer! **

**Queen**

**P. S. Review, please!**


	8. Chapter 7

Two weeks had past and Benny had been fully welcomed into everyone's lives. Fred often came by to visit and sometimes gave the child treats when he thought Hiro wasn't looking. Go Go seemed determined to teach him every sport known to man. Honey Lemon stopped by once to get Benny's measurements, then left. She soon returned, however, with clothes designed specifically for Benny. Lily didn't visit often, but when she did, she usually had a list of things she needed to make sure Hiro did. Aunt Cass always made sure the pantry was fully stocked after finding it empty on one occasion. Tadashi treated Benny as another brother.

And Wasabi...

Wasabi used to make regular visits everyday to "make sure you haven't killed him, yet" but that soon stopped after an unexpected visit at 3:25 AM.

Needless to say, Hiro was not happy.

After that visit, Hiro and Wasabi compromised: one weekly picnic. Everyone's invited. Bring your own food.

The picnic was actually why Hiro was trying to comb through Benny's hair so that he'd look at least half-way presentable to the woman attending the picnic.

Once he was satisfied with the kid's look, they got into the car and made their way through the busy streets of San Fransokyo to Lily's apartment (she didn't have a reliable mode of transportation as of yet).

They arrived at Lily's place and Hiro knocked on the door.

"Coming!" Lily called and Hiro heard footsteps inside the house. Lily opened the door and Hiro noticed she was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a green t-shirt with a flower design on the left side. She wore a pair of green and white Nike shoes.

"What?" She asked after a moment.

"Huh?" Hiro blinked. Suddenly realizing he'd been staring, Hiro took a step back. "Sorry. I was—I mean—it's just..." He took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

"Yep!" Lily bounced to the car and Hiro couldn't help but smile.

Soon, they were on their way to the park.

And it was at that particular moment that Hiro's car decided to take a nap.

"Oh, come on!" Hiro exclaimed as he pulled over. "What did I do now?" He climbed out of the drivers seat and popped the hood to assess the damage.

"Do you want me to call my brother, Matt?" Lily asked after she got herself and Benny out of the car. "He gets paid for stuff like this."

"No. I can figure it out."

Lily paused. "Ri-ight. I'll call him." She turned away as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and called her brother.

Hiro sighed and sat down on the curb next to Benny.

"Are we going to be late?" The small one asked.

Hiro grinned. "Maybe just a little."

Benny sighed and wrapped his arms around his knees.

"Hey, are you alright?" Hiro asked, putting an arm around the small child and giving him a small hug.

"I'm fine."

Hiro raised an eyebrow. "Of course you are."

Benny shifted in his seat for a while before admitting. "I'm bored."

Hiro feigned surprise. "What?" He asked, placing his hand over his chest. "Bored? You? Never!" Looking around, Hiro tried to think of something to do when an idea came to him. "Want to play 'I Spy'?"

"Sure." Benny shrugged.

So, the two played 'I Spy' for a while before Lily's brother came to see if he could fix the car.

Lily talked to her brother while he worked, suggesting different things to try and pretty much just being in the way, but Matt didn't seem to mind. He was used to her constant hovering and felt at home under the hood of her friends' car.

When he was done inspecting the damage, Matt came out of hiding and addressed the owner of the vehicle.

"She's seen better days." He said, ignoring the confused look on the other boy's face. "But she'll be fine. She just needs a new battery."

"... She?" Hiro asked, more than a little confused. He could understand the 'new battery' thing, but why assign gender to a hunk of metal? What good did that do? Would the car magically produce a new battery now that it was identified in this way? Hiro didn't think so.

"It's a term you use when referring to a ship or car." Lily stated, matter-o'-factly.

"No, I don't." Hiro was fairly certain he had never referred to his car as a 'she'.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Not _you_ you. You as in others."

"Okay, but... why?"

"Because," Matt interjected, "like a woman, they take much powder and paint to keep them looking good." He pulled his sister into a side-hug and ruffled Benny's hair. "Where were you guys going, any way?"

"A picnic at the park with my parent's." Hiro responded, thinking of how everyone kept telling him what to do and how to take care of Benny.

"I can take you." Matt said after a second of thought. "Or at least, I can take two of you." He gestured to his three-seat white tow-truck with the big green block letters stating 'San Fransokyo Towing Company'.

"Take Lily and Benny." Hiro replied. "I can walk."

"No." Matt said, folding his arms. "I'm not taking Lil's."

"And why not?" Lily asked, copying her brother.

"This is the second time this month you've been in a car and it died. I think the Fate's are trying to tell you something."

"I'm not walking." Lily said.

"Matt." Hiro looked to the older man. "Take them. I'll walk."

Matt rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine."

***888***

"Sir?" Darren asked the leader of the Fomorroh uncertainly. He had seen the man double over mere moments ago in agony, screaming bloody murder, but as soon as the screaming started, it had stopped.

"Take seven men to Lake Point to pick up a package." the Leader said as he regained his composure. "I believe you will find it easy this time."

Darren simply nodded and turned to leave. Being one of the members of the Leader's elite guard meant no questions. If he didn't tell you what you were supposed to pick up, you were just supposed to figure it out.

And Darren was really good at figuring things out.

***888***

Hiro had walked about halfway between his car and the park when he heard a crashing sound coming from a nearby alley followed by Jason stumbling out.

Hiro had to admit, Jason had a knack for popping out of nowhere.

"Hey, Jason." Hiro walked over to his friend. "Aren't you supposed to be at the park?"

He had expected Jason to make some sort of sarcastic comment, but instead, Jason looked at him with wide , terror-filled eyes.

"Hiro! You have to get out of here! Where's Benny?" At the last part, Jason looked around.

"He's with Lily." Hiro said, confused. "Why?"

"Because he's being chased by four men with big guns." A tall man with a dark mask on and a thick English accent stepped forward and Hiro could have kicked himself for not paying attention to his surroundings. Tadashi had taught him better than that.

"It would be a shame if you were to be injured by one of my associates." Two more men stepped forward. "for instance," He stepped forward a bit more, and Hiro backed up. Something didn't sit right with him. "If something were to..." Didn't this guy say there were four of them? "hit you on the head?"

Hiro was out before he could register the pain.

***888***

"Hello. I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare companion." The original Baymax looked around the garage. "I heard a sound of distress." Baymax said. His scanners said the room was empty, but someone had clearly said 'ow'. Baymax waddled around the room to try to find someone in distress. There was no way he was malfunctioning, even though it had been awhile since he'd been called upon by either of the Hamada brothers or any of their friends. "Hello?" Baymax inquired into the empty room.

"Baymax..." A voice. It was weak. Whoever it belonged to needed medical attention.

"What is your location?"

"Don't lose them..."

"I cannot assist you if I do not know where you are."

"..."

"I will alert the police of your predicament."

"No... Don't..."

"The police have been contacted."

A sigh.

"Baymax...?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of my brother."

***888***

"What did you do that for!?" Jason yelled at the four men (thankfully he knew where they all were now). "He has not a part of this!"

English Accent gave a forced laugh. "You really think this is about you? No. This is about him." He gestured to the figure on the ground.

Jason looked at him, confused. Why would they need Hiro? What was the point? Jason came out of his thoughts with just enough time to block an upper blow from one of the other men and respond with an uppercut, which sent the guy flying.

Jason was vaguely aware of a black van pulling up as he dodged a knee to the ribs. Three men stepped out of the van and hauled the unconscious Hiro to the back.

"Wait!" Jason charged towards his friend, but was stopped by a club to the stomach, making him double over.

"Greg!" Max said as he joined the fray. He pulled a guy off Jason and tossed him into the guy with the accent. "You got into a fight and didn't invite me?" Max pouted as if he were offended.

"I'm sorry." Jason said. "Next time I won't do anything until you arrive."

"That's all I ask." Max responded before the two of them became ensconced in fighting off their attackers.

In the next moment, Jason and Max were like two sides of the same coin. Each knew what the other was going to do and reacted accordingly. After about two minutes of dodging and punching, they heard the van screech away.

"No!" Jason yelled as he chased after the vehicle. He was able to chase it down for a few blocks, but eventually ran out of breath and collapsed on the curb. How could he have let this happen? Hiro, his friend, had trusted him! And he let him down! Jason put his head in his hands and sighed.

_What am I going to tell Benny?_ The thought struck him suddenly. Benny looked at Hiro like he was a... well, a hero.

"Hey, man, it's not your fault." Max said, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder.

"You know that's not true." Jason replied. "If it wasn't for me, they'd never have found out the serum worked."

"Well, that's true." Max stroked his chin.

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"

"Your side is the one where we say it's your fault, isn't it? Because that's what you were doing."

Jason sighed again.

"Oh, come on, man!" Max grabbed Jason's chin and forced him to look at him. "We'll find your friend. I promise."

***888***

"FREEEEEEEEEEEEE FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!" Fred yelled out Wasabi's passenger side window, waving wildly at everyone.

"Fred!" Wasabi exclaimed as he tried to pull into a perfect parking spot, "Keep your limbs inside the vehicle until it has come to a complete and total stop, please."

"What are you, a rollercoaster?" Fred asked as he opened the passenger side door and hopped out of the car.

"I'm your friend and would rather not watch you get hurt."

"I won't get hurt." Fred shrugged the statement off as if it were only a suggestion. _I could get hurt? How about __no__?_

"Oh my gosh! You guys made it!" Honey Lemon hugged her friends and guided them to the area the rest of them had decided was perfect for their picnic. "Go Go and I were just discussing which of the Hamada brothers' will arrive last. Go Go think it'll be Hiro. What about you two?"

"Tadashi is so wrapped up in his new project, he's probably forgotten what day it is." Wasabi reasoned. Fred nodded his agreement. The trio made their way over to the renowned speed-demon (who had somehow made her bike _even faster_) and Honey Lemon relayed the bets.

"Really?" Go Go asked. "Do none of you remember who Hiro is? He was probably late to his own birth."

"Actually," Everyone jumped when they heard Tadashi's voice. "Hiro came two months early."

"What does that mean?" the small voice of Benny asked. "Why would he go somewhere two months early?" Benny made a conscious effort not to call Hiro 'Dad'. Especially after what happened at the cafe.

"Because he's impatient." Aunt Cass said as she joined the small group. "One morning he tried to make himself breakfast because he didn't want to wait for me to wake up and make it for him."

"That doesn't sound to bad." Wasabi responded.

"He was four." Cass replied.

"Oh."

"Speaking of Hiro," Tadashi said, as he glanced around and noticed his otouto wasn't there. "Where is he?"

"We had some car trouble on the way." Lily said. "We didn't have enough seats in the car, so Hiro chose to walk." She smiled at Aunt Cass. "By the way, thank you for that recipe. The bread was delicious."

"You're welcome." Cass replied. "I'm glad you liked liked them."

"So, Hiro's late." Go Go said casually before glancing at her friends with the smallest traces of a grin. "Called it."

"He'll be here though, right?" Benny asked, suddenly worried for his caretaker.

"We-ell..." Max said as he and Jason arrived on the scene. Jason elbowed him in the ribs.

"Hey!" Honey Lemon exclaimed. "You're that guy I ran into at the store!"

"In the flesh." Max said with an exaggerated bow. "If I recall correctly, you're Honey Lemon."

"Yep!" Honey Lemon introduced the others.

"You have some interesting names." Max said.

"Yeah. They do, don't they?" Fred asked. "Although Hiro still doesn't have a nickname."

"Why did you say, 'We-ell' when you arrived just know?" Tadashi asked. His gut told him something was wrong.

Jason sighed and stepped forward. He better get this over with.

"Hiro and I ran into some of my... er... _friends_ on the way over..." He looked nervously at Benny. "He... won't be coming."

"What?" Tadashi asked. "Why?"

"He doesn't want me, does he?" Benny asked. He had been feeling like a burden lately. Though Hiro probably would've denied it.

"What?" Jason started when he heard this and bent down to be at eye level with Benny. "No! You're not a burden! And don't you dare think that you are!"

"Then why isn't he coming?"

Jason hesitated. "Because..." He glanced around at Hiro's friends. "Because he's been abducted." Jason hung his head.

**A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRGGGGG!**

**Sorry. I swear this chapter didn't want to be written. (IT TOOK ALL SUMMER!) I could've posted this chapter before, but for this fic I decided not to update until the new chap at least 2,500 words (I've found I can get more in the description department if I do this. Otherwise it'd just be a bunch of dialogue).**

**Also, my other fic, 'The Storm' is COMPLETE! I have NO PLANS for that one.**

**I do not own BH6.**

**I love you all.**

**Queen**


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